I don't know this Valentín Pérez, so I can't really tell. But, usually, rallying news coming from Spain (except from Pipo López and the guys who usually cover the F1) are okay. Most of the people writing about it are really involved in the sport and have good contacts.

A bit harsh to be bashing him when the margins between winning and losing are so fine, no?

I only watched the first day highlights, looking forward to the vid of the 2nd day (haven't downloaded yet), looks like it was a very nice start to the year.

Am not thrilled by the Eurosport coverage but it could've been worse too!

He lost a 30 second lead in 3 stages - says it all really.

Eurosport coverage was ok except for that blithering fool Carlton Kirby......His funniest mistake had to be at the end when he's rambling on about how the Colin McRae flat out award can only have been won by kopecky even though they've been showing clips of Harrach the whole time he's been talking including a clip of him recieving the award.....

Bear in mind that he wasn't in Austria, nor is he in SOuth America for the Dakar, but is in Paris pretending to be in both places. So heaven knows how he gets his information. All this is not Kirby's fault but reflects Eurosports' miniscule budget. Most of which is spent on tennis and snooker.

Very nice battle in the production car cup, shame that Kajto lost the lead though.

Despite this, Robert Kubica must be happy with the result (being a "Kopecky FAN") I wonder when the announcement will be made..

BTW I think Kirby didn't meant say that Kopecky won the Colin McRae trophy. He said that "you coouldn't give it to anyone else, could you?" ..." hehehehe" ... "Jan Kopecky, wins his second Janner rally in a row" (Kopecky being in the background). Just his style of commentary (annoying to many)

Eurosport coverage was ok except for that blithering fool Carlton Kirby......His funniest mistake had to be at the end when he's rambling on about how the Colin McRae flat out award can only have been won by kopecky even though they've been showing clips of Harrach the whole time he's been talking including a clip of him recieving the award.....

Exactly. All Kopecky had to do once he got the puncture was drive a bit closer to the limit and then he destroyed Bouffier's lead. He demonstrated in 3 stages the gulf in class between the two drivers, as Kopecky had clearly been managing his lead with Bouffier straining to keep up until then.

BTW I think Kirby didn't meant say that Kopecky won the Colin McRae trophy. He said that "you coouldn't give it to anyone else, could you?" ..." hehehehe" ... "Jan Kopecky, wins his second Janner rally in a row" (Kopecky being in the background). Just his style of commentary (annoying to many)

He then apologised and said that Harrach actually won the flat out award though so he did think Kopecky won it....Yes I know he's in Paris but he also hasn't a clue about rallying

Have to agree with Danardi about Baumschlager though - brilliant performance

Has anything been announced? Maybe MotorsTV are the only station who want the WRC. Why would any free to air TV station put it on? The reason it went from Ch4, ITV1, ITV4, Dave is because viewing figures were poor.

Well apparently, according to a few on Twitter, RedBull started last week, so it's Go! If anybody is capable of sorting it out then they are. It will need patience, and won't be fixed soon, but we have to wish them luck.

He must have forgotten that Meeke had a reputation for being fast and the best development driver of all when he got that drive. Oh, and he was IRC champion

Not sure of the context of Wilson's quote? Is he aiming to drive in the WRC again this season, or what?

But he has a point. Meeke was indeed IRC Champion - but he was 30 years of age when he won it, so Wilson has another 5 years to find the necessary speed. Unlikely that he will, of course, but stranger things have happened. Until the recent mania for rally drivers still in short trousers, you wouldn't expect anyone to be competing seriously at the highest levels until they were knocking on for 30 or so. Even the late lamented Colin McRae was Wilson's age when he got his first works WRC drive whilst uber WR Champion Loeb was 28.

Matt has never shown glimpses of outright pace. His best results have come with high attrition – and in the WRC’s weakest era. WRC2 may be his level – the ERC is probably too hot for him, with events he doesn’t know.

Also some other news, Jarkko Nikara will drive the Mini WRC in Sweden, also negotiating about other rallies.

If Loeb is listed as a manufacturer entry, does this mean that essentially Citroen aren't competing for the manufacturers title this year, as Loeb can only score in 4 rounds. Surely Loeb should be the 'team manufacturer' entry and Sordo the points-scoring one...

If Loeb is listed as a manufacturer entry, does this mean that essentially Citroen aren't competing for the manufacturers title this year, as Loeb can only score in 4 rounds. Surely Loeb should be the 'team manufacturer' entry and Sordo the points-scoring one...

They only need to nominate 1 driver to do all 13 rounds. The 2nd driver may vary during the season. Hirvonen is the #1, Loeb #2. When Loeb doesn't compete, Sordo is #2.

But effectively, Loeb will of course drive with #1 on the car when he competes. When he doesn't, nobody will take that number.

They only need to nominate 1 driver to do all 13 rounds. The 2nd driver may vary during the season. Hirvonen is the #1, Loeb #2. When Loeb doesn't compete, Sordo is #2.

But effectively, Loeb will of course drive with #1 on the car when he competes. When he doesn't, nobody will take that number.

So the 2nd points scorer can be changed... ok then. I was thinking that Citroen were hoping Loeb max scores in all 4 of his rallies (which he could well do) and that would be enough to help secure that title.

From the Portuguese Autosport - round 2 of the ERC in Latvia this February looks set to be pretty poor, as at the moment only 4 S2000s are confirmed: 2 Skodas for Janos Puskadi and Tlustak Antonin, 1 Mini for Raimond Kisiels and 1 Ford Fiesta RRC for Jari Ketomaa.

Monte Carlo: Latvala on the VW posts the fastest time in the 1st run of the shakedown, Hanninen on the Fiesta in the 2nd run.

Reigning PWRC champion Benito Guerra rumoured to be the 3rd official Citroen driver for his home Rally in Mexico, and is already in the Swedish Rally entry list with a DS3 WRC too - that's a private entry, though.

can I expect some highlights after every day online (@ youtube would be best)?

Do you have Astra? Servus TV will show the highlights, and Motorsport-Magazin was reporting something in RTL and Sport1, too.

Servus TV has a big 'Mediotek' where they have almost everything online after they show it, unless there are national rights problems. There are some chances they would put the highlights in the Mediotek and that it might be available from abroad.

Ooh, just watched the Finnish season opening rally broadcast from today's shakedown. Can't wait for the rally to start, even though they will only broadcast the usual 30 mins highlight show after every rally day. The Ford squad is massive - maybe it's better to run without manufacturer sponsorship?

Looks like VW is running the Polo really low to the ground, which isn't probably a fantastic idea with a lot of snow on the road. The massively flared wheel arches will also be a problem in Sweden.

I think it's mad that the only channel who actually gave a flying f*** about the WRC in the UK the last few years was Dave! I miss their highlights packages...

Yeah, they used to promote it all the time with 5 second clips during ad breaks - there was an epic one of Loeb flashing past the camera sideways at about 100mph.I quite liked Neil Cole who genuinely seemed to get on with the other drivers (theres a good clip of him tipping over Seb Loebs chair at a press conference somewhere)

I’m surprised people are wondering why there is no UK TV agreed. The coverage has gone from Ch4, ITV1, ITV4, Dave, MotorsTV......There is a pattern here. Low viewing figures – people just aren’t watching the sport, as there is little interest. For all the talk of a new dawn, it’s still not interesting enough for any TV station to put it on. No British driver in a top car....why would they show it?

However, let’s hope something can be sorted, or that RedBullTV can show it.

I’m surprised people are wondering why there is no UK TV agreed. The coverage has gone from Ch4, ITV1, ITV4, Dave, MotorsTV......There is a pattern here. Low viewing figures – people just aren’t watching the sport, as there is little interest. For all the talk of a new dawn, it’s still not interesting enough for any TV station to put it on. No British driver in a top car....why would they show it?

However, let’s hope something can be sorted, or that RedBullTV can show it.

Which is pretty damning, given some of the incredibly lame crap that does make it on to our 200 channels.